The stage at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore ahead of a 2023 performance of Baskerville.

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery is a play by American playwright Ken Ludwig. It premiered at the Arena Stage in Southwest, Washington, D.C. in January 2015 and was directed by Amanda Dehnert.[1]

The play is a humorous adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles[2] featuring over forty characters played by five actors.[3]

Arena Stage production

Rehearsals were staged at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey.[1] The play featured two main roles, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, as well as numerous other roles played by only three other actors. Michael Glenn's roles included Daisy the scullery maid, Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade and Sir Henry Baskerville.[1] Author Ludwig wanted to infuse suspense with humor saying "You’re not making fun of the genre, [but] at the same time, there’s a lot of laughs, because they come out of the tension."[1]

Cast

The other 40-plus roles were performed by three actors: Stanley Bahorek, Michael Glenn and Jane Pfitsch.[1]

Old Globe Theatre production

The play, directed by Josh Rhodes, opened at Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California on July 30, 2015 and ran through September 6, 2015.[4]

Cast

Other roles played by Andrew Kober, Blake Segal and Liz Wisan.[4]

Liverpool Playhouse production

The play, directed by Loveday Ingram,,[5] Liverpool Playhouse, in Liverpool, England on December 9, 2017.[6]

Cast

Other roles played by Bessie Carter, Edward Harrison and Ryan Pope.[6]

Park Square Theatre production

In July and August of 2018, Theo Langason directed an adaptation of the play at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It starred McKenna Kelly-Eiding and Marika Proctor as female Holmes and Watson, respectively. All the remaining roles were played by Eric "Pogi" Sumangil, Ricardo Beaird and Marika Proctor.[7]

Lavender Magazine's John Townsend called the production "triumphantly entertaining," citing the actors' comedic timing.[8]

Blooper

Although the opening stage direction to Act One sets the action in the late 1890s, Act 1 Scene 3 has the two main protagonists attending a performance of Puccini's opera Tosca, at Covent Garden. This opera was first performed in Rome on January 14, 1900, and did not receive its London première until July 12, 1900. [9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wren, Celia (January 18, 2015). "'Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery' charges into Arena Stage". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  2. ^ Ritzel, Rebecca (February 3, 2015). "Sherlockians flock to 'Baskerville' at Arena, pronouncing it a bloody good time". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  3. ^ Felton, DC (January 27, 2019). "BWW Review: BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY at Des Moines Playhouse-The Game is Afoot!". Broadway World. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  4. ^ a b Verini, Bob (August 3, 2015). "Regional Theater Review: 'Baskerville,' Ken Ludwig's Sherlock Tale". Variety. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Gardner, Lyn (December 29, 2017). "Deerstalkers and devil dogs: Sherlock Holmes hits stage at the double". The Guardian. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Baskerville - A Sherlock Holmes Mystery". Liverpool Playhouse. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  7. ^ "Park Square Theatre Presents Baskerville". Broadway World. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  8. ^ Townsend, John. "Park Square's Cross-Gender "Baskerville" is Triumphantly Entertaining". Lavender. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  9. ^ Puccini, chapter 9, 3rd edition. Mosco Carner

External links

Sherlock Holmes franchise media
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